NASA chief classifies Starliner flight as “Type A” mishap, says agency made mistakes

On Thursday, NASA officially categorized the upcoming 2024 crewed mission of the Starliner spacecraft as a "Type A" mishap, signaling a significant acknowledgment of the serious failures encountered during its test flight. This classification comes as NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman communicated an agency-wide message, highlighting the errors made by both Starliner’s manufacturer, Boeing, and NASA itself. The Starliner mission is part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, which aims to secure transportation services for astronauts heading to the International Space Station. In his letter, Isaacman emphasized the need for the agency to accept responsibility for its missteps. The level of accountability expressed by NASA during a follow-up news conference and in Isaacman’s letter was notable. In a bid to enhance transparency, Isaacman instructed the agency to release a detailed internal report totaling 311 pages. This document outlines the findings from the Program Investigation Team that scrutinized the issues surrounding the Starliner flight. "While Starliner does have design and engineering flaws that need to be addressed, the most alarming issue identified is not related to hardware," Isaacman stated in his communication to NASA staff. "It concerns decision-making and leadership that could foster a culture unsuitable for human spaceflight if not rectified." Isaacman assured that there would be accountability within the leadership regarding the decisions made in relation to the Starliner program, although he refrained from specifying the nature of the actions that would follow. The "Type A" classification comes over a year and a half following Starliner's troubled initial crewed flight in June 2024, which was marked by helium leaks in its propulsion system and sporadic thruster failures during its mission to the space station after launching on an Atlas V rocket.